RESIDENTS of Barangay Maquiling in Sagay City were startled seeing a man walking on the street carrying a severe head of a woman by her hair at about 7 a.m. on Saturday, November 26 prompting them to seek police help.
The severe head belongs to Gelly Reocodo, 58, of Sitio Pisong in Escalante’s Barangay Dian-ay which according to city police chief Lt. Colonel Roberto Indiape, Jr. is located near the boundary of Barangay Maquiling.
Indiape identified the suspect who beheaded Reocado as her neighbor Randy Maniego, 35, who later left the head on top of a cross in a tomb at the cemetery of Barangay Maquiling.
He said Reocado’s headless body was meanwhile seen inside a sugarcane plantation about 3 kilometers away from the cemetery.
Investigation showed that Reocodo and her niece Bernalyn Abranilla were walking on their way to the market when they met Maniego, who without provocation hacked them using a bolo.
“Abranilla was able to flee despite sustaining wounds on her fingers while her aunt tripped and fell into the ground,” Indiape said, adding that too much anger forced Maniego to commit the gruesome crime.
During interrogation, Maniego admitted that he had already intentions of killing Reocado whom he said was selfish, Indiape said.
Reocado had asked Maniego to raise her carabao and after 12 years, she decided to sell it. They agreed that Reocado would give P20,000 to Maniego but it was later lowered to P10,000 instead, the police said.
He added that Maniego only got P3,000 while Reocado refused to give the remaining amount that they agreed on.
Indiape told SunStar Bacolod that Maniego has no criminal records in Escalante City nor is he into illegal drugs.
Murder and frustrated murder charges will be filed against Maniego, who is now detained, before the Sagay City Prosecutor’s Office today.
Maniego in a radio interview said that he did not regret what he did, adding that he and Reocodo are now even. (with reports from TDE)